Winds of Change
by Beckers Loves Portman
Summary: UPDATED CHAPTER 13 ADDED Will Gordon's nieces ever fit in at Eden Hall after the death of their mother? Will the Ducks accept them? Or are the destined to be outsiders? (This is my first Ducks fic, so please give me some constructive critisism.)
1. Chapter 1 The Airplane

Becky looked over at her twin sister, Stacy, who was sleeping in the seat next to her on the airplane. Becky couldn't sleep on airplanes, and she was bored out of her mind. The only thing she could do was think and she didn't want to think. Thinking made her upset. She just had to wait until the plane landed. The plane was taking them to the airport, where they would get a taxi which would lead them to their final destination, Eden Hall.  
  
"Stacy..." Becky whispered, nudging her sister. "Stace..." Stacy moved slightly, shifting position in her seat. "Stace..." Becky shoved Stacy's shoulder lightly. "Stace, wake up." She continued to shake Stacy's shoulder until her eyes opened.  
  
"What the...?" Stacy looked at Becky with an exhausted look on her face. "What do you want? Did we land yet?"  
  
"No..." Becky replied. "I couldn't sleep Stace, this is like the end of my life." About a year and a half before this day, the girls' uncle, Gordon Bombay, had become the coach of the Eden Hall Ducks. The Ducks did better with Bombay as the coach, and the school knew it. About two weeks earlier, the girls lost their mother to lung cancer. Their uncle was their closest relative. He loved them as if they were his own daughters. They liked him, too, but they had to pick up their lives and start all over and they didn't want to do that. As soon as Gordon heard about his sister, he called the state of Pennsylvania, where they were living, and requested custody, which was granted to him. They would now attend Eden Hall, which they weren't very happy with. It was full of rich, undeserving people. The girls' actually had the grades to get into the school, they were not only being accepted because of their uncle. They hated the idea of starting a new school half way through their senior year in high school. But they had no other choice.  
  
"Beck... everything will turn out okay. We've got Uncle Gordon..."  
  
"Yeah, Stace, but he's got his hockey team. That's all he cares about." Becky replied with tears streaming down her cheeks.  
  
"He cares about us, too, Beck. You know that. Uncle Gordon loves us. He's so happy that we're gonna be living with him."  
  
"This sucks!" Becky nearly screamed. A few of the other passenger's turned around at looked at her. She softened her voice. "I mean, I even had to dump my boyfriend before we came here."  
  
"I know, Beck, so did I. We were too good for them anyway. We can do better." Becky smiled at her slightly. "Everything's gonna be okay. Trust me." Becky sat their quietly, looking up and down the aisle. "Hey look!" Stacy said. "We're landing." Becky looked at Stacy and sighed deeply. As the passenger's began to depart from the plane, Becky stood up and opened the compartment above her seat. She pulled out Stacy's back pack and handed it to her, followed by hers. She put her bag on her back and she and Stacy exited the plane. They flagged down a taxi after they got their bags and climbed inside.  
  
"Where to?" The driver asked as Becky closed the door.  
  
"Eden Hall." She sighed.  
  
"Alright." The man replied, pulling out and heading in the direction of the school. Becky pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed her Uncle's cell number. After a few rings, someone picked up.  
  
"Hello?" They asked.  
  
"Hi, is Gordon Bombay around?"  
  
"Yea, who's this?" The voice on the other side asked.  
  
"Shouldn't I be asking YOU that question, since this IS Gordon's phone?" Becky asked. She knew it had to be one of the Ducks. The person laughed a little and Becky could here him yelling in the background.  
  
"BOMBAY! PHONE!" A few seconds later, Gordon picked up the phone.  
  
"Hello?" He asked.  
  
"Uncle Gordon?"  
  
"Becky?!" He asked. "Are you almost here?!"  
  
"Yeah, we're in the taxi. We should be there soon. Where can we find you?"  
  
"I'm coaching the team right now at the school's rink. Come here when you get to the school."  
  
"Okay..." Becky sighed. "We'll be there soon."  
  
"Alright. Love you sweetheart."  
  
"Love you, too Uncle Gordon."  
  
"Tell your sister I love her."  
  
"I will. Bye." Becky hung up the phone. "Uncle Gordon says he loves you." Becky said looking at Stacy. The taxi continued on its way to the school. "This is gonna be a loooong day." 


	2. Chapter 2 Meeting The Ducks

"Thanks." Becky said as she handed the taxi driver his money and stepped out into the street. She stood on the sidewalk besides Stacy and looked around. "There it is..." She pointed at the Hockey rink. "Wanna just head over there?"  
  
"Might as well." Stacy replied. "That's where Uncle Gordon is right?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah." Becky replied. "Let's go." They walked towards the rink and stopped before they went inside. "I don't want to do this." She shook her head in disbelief and put her bags down on the pavement. "Do we have to?" Stacy laughed.  
  
"Come on, Beck." Stacy pushed open the door and walked inside. She headed down the bleachers and up to the penalty box where Gordon was sitting, talking to some of the players. Becky stayed outside. "Hey Uncle Gordon." Stacy mumbled. Gordon smiled and turned around.  
  
"Stacy!" He pushed the door of the box open and ran over to her, throwing his arms around her. He hugged her tightly. "It's so nice to see you again."  
  
"It's nice to see you, too. I think everything's gonna be alright." Gordon nodded and kissed her on the forehead.  
  
"I think so, too." He looked around with a confused expression on his face. "Where's your sister?"  
  
"Outside." She replied. Gordon frowned. He walked over to the boards and called the players in.  
  
"Hey everyone. This is one of my nieces I was telling you about. Her name is Stacy. Stacy, this is the team. Um... I'm gonna go find Becky... get aquainted." Stacy sighed as the players began introducing themselves and Gordon walked towards the door. He pushed it open to find Becky sitting on the curb with her bags. "Sweetheart!" He called out. Becky didn't look up. Gordon walked over and sat beside her. He placed an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him. "Not to happy to see your Uncle Gordon?"  
  
"It's not that... I love you... but I miss home. This isn't my home. I'm not gonna fit in here. And I'm not too sure I wanna fit in."  
  
"Oh, come on, Beck. The Ducks aren't that bad... Stacy's been in there with them for about a minute and she hasn't run out screaming yet." Becky laughed a little. "That's the Becky I like to see." He said, pulling her into a firm hug. "Did I ever tell you how beautiful you are?" He asked her.  
  
"Shut up!" She said, hitting him in the arm. "Might as well get this over with... I'm not gonna have to live with them, am I?"  
  
"We'll talk about that later." Gordon said, picking up one of Becky's bags and pulling her to her feet with his other hand.  
  
"I don't like the sound of that." Becky mumbled as they walked inside. They were greeted at the door by one of the players. Becky looked at him. He had curly dark brown hair that was held away from his eyes by a bandana. His eyes were deep brown and Becky found herself almost lost in them. He was the perfect build. Not too muscular, but he certainly was in shape.  
  
"I was getting worried about you, Coach." He said.  
  
'That voice!' Becky thought to herself. It was the guy from the phone earlier. 'Figures'. She thought. Gordon laughed a little.  
  
"You must be Becky." Dean said, extending his hand. Becky shook it half-heartedly. "It's a pleasure to meet you."  
  
"You're right. It is your pleasure." She said as she walked passed him and down to the boards to join Stacy.  
  
"Ouch!" Dean said, grabbing his gut. "That wasn't very nice."  
  
"Don't worry she'll loosen up." Gordon said, patting Dean on the back.  
  
"I hope so." Dean replied. Gordon and Dean followed Becky down to the rest of the team. Stacy and Becky were sitting in the penalty box. Becky had her head burried between her knees and Stacy was having a conversation with Connie and Julie.  
  
"I see you've met the other girls." Gordon said to Stacy. She looked at him and smiled. "That's good because they're going to be your roommates." Becky let out a tremendous sigh. Dean smiled. "We'll get your stuff over there and get all settled in after practice." Gordon patted Dean on the back. "But for now, the rest of you get back on the ice. You Ducks need some practice." Stacy wrapped her arm around Becky, whose head was still down, and pulled her closer. Dean jumped over the boards and joined the rest of the team to finish practice. 


	3. Chapter 3 Living Conditions

*****First of all, I'd like to thank those who reviewed my story. This is my first Mighty Ducks fic, so I'm trying to make it good. To Dana: These characters aren't modeled after me, I just have a lack of creativity when it comes to names, so I always name my characters after people I know. I'm nothing like this character at all. Also, I know Bombay didn't coach the Ducks at Eden Hall... this story takes place during their senior year and in the story I said that a year ago Coach Bombay had become the coach because the school thought the Ducks performed better with him... that would make it their Junior year which is fair game because they were freshmen in the movie :) Hope that clears everything up... *****  
  
When practice was over, the Ducks went to the locker room to get changed and head back to the dorms where they slept.  
  
As the Ducks, Gordon, and the twins were heading out the door, Dean reached for Becky's bag.  
  
"Let me carry that for you." He said, smiling wildly.  
  
"I can carry my own bag, thank you!" Becky detested, pulling her bag from his reach and walking away fastly. She followed behind Stacy who was walking with Connie and Julie. "What is with people around here?" She asked herself. "Do I look helpless?"  
  
"He was just trying to be nice." Connie snapped, turning towards Becky.  
  
"AND these people don't know when to mind their business. Keep walking pretty girl." Becky stared straight at Connie who turned around to continue talking.  
  
"She's pretty nice once you get to know her." Stacy said quietly to the other two girls.  
  
"I can tell." Connie replied. Becky stopped for a few seconds, waiting for Gordon to approach. He was talking with the team captain.  
  
"Hey kiddo, what's on your mind?" He asked, using his hand to rub the top of her head. Becky pushed her hair back and looked at Gordon angrily.  
  
"Do I really have to live with these people? Can't I live with you?" She asked.  
  
"I only have one bedroom, and the couch isn't pleasant. Besides, how are you supposed to make friends if you live with me?"  
  
"If the rest of the people around here are anything like the Ducks, I don't think I wanna be their friends anyway." Becky mumbled, kicking a rock that was on the ground in front of her. The rock hit one of the players in the back of the leg. A tall, curly-haired guy with glasses turned around.   
  
"Thanks." He said to Becky. "I needed that." He turned back around.  
  
"What's so wrong with the Ducks?" Charlie asked Becky.  
  
"Who are you and why are you talking to me?" She asked with a cocky intonation in her voice.  
  
"I'm Charlie Conway. The captain of the Ducks." He extended his hand to her. She looked at his hand and began talking.  
  
"You know, there's more to life than hockey. You're like some cult or something and I don't wanna be a part of it. You've already inducted my sister or something." She looked up at Stacy who was now standing next to a strange guy who was wearing a cowboy hat.  
  
"A cult?" Charlie laughed. Gordon joined in on the laughter. "Is that what you think we are?" Becky nodded her head. "Do you like anyone? Or are we an acception?"  
  
"I like people who don't go to Eden Hall. That a good a enough answer?" She asked.  
  
"You're a bitch." Charlie snapped at her.  
  
"Charlie!" Gordon turned to him. "Don't talk to her that way. She's going through some stuff right now."  
  
"I don't care, she doesn't have to take it out on us." Gordon glared at Charlie.   
  
"Fine. Sorry." Charlie mumbled.  
  
"I can stick up for myself!" Becky stormed away to walk by herself. Meanwhile, Stacy was talking to Connie and Julie again.  
  
"What's with that Guy kid?" Stacy asked Connie. "He keeps looking at you Connie." Connie smiled a little.  
  
"We used to go out... for a while. Since like elementary school. But... we broke up."  
  
"Awww... really? Why?" Stacy asked sympathetically.  
  
"Long story. There was a big falling out between us that had been building up for a while."  
  
"Well, do you think you two will ever get back together?"  
  
"Guy wants to. He's asked me a few times. And he keeps asking me to go to the Winter Dance with him at school, but I don't want to. I'm not ready for it. And I don't know if I'll ever feel the same way about him again." They walked inside a big building and Connie led them to a small room.  
  
"This is it." Julie said, pushing the door open. Stacy walked inside and smiled. The walls were covered with posters of Hockey Players and framed pictures and medals. There were two bunkbeds, one on either side of the room. "You and Becky can sleep over there." Julie said, pointing to one of the beds.  
  
"Uncle Gordon." Becky pleaded before entering the room. "Come on... can't I stay with one of the less annoying guys at least? He looks nice." She said with an odd expression on her face, pointing at a tall, big boy who looked more like a man. He had fairly long black hair hidden by a bandana. "Can't be that bad can he?" She asked.  
  
"Fulton? No... he's a good guy. But he shares a room with Dean." Becky sighed. "What about the guy from Philly? He's the goalie right? Can't go wrong with a guy from my hometown."  
  
"Shares a room with Charlie." Gordon smiled.  
  
"Forget it!" Becky threw her arms in the air. "I surrender! Happy? I'll sleep here." She walked into the room and threw her bags down on her bed. "I'm sleeping on the top Stace."   
  
"You girls get settled..." Gordon said from the doorway. "I'll call in a little while and we'll go out to lunch. These guys REALLY need to shower." Charlie shoved Gordon. "See you girls later." He said and walked away with the guys.  
  
"When do classes start?" Stacy asked, unpacking some of her things.  
  
"No classes today. It's staff developement or something. So classes start on Monday." Julie replied.  
  
"Have any plans for this weekend?" Stacy asked.  
  
"We have a lot of practice this weekend. There are some big games coming up. Probably just hanging out between practice. And you're more than welcome to join us."  
  
"I don't have anything better to do." She smiled. 


	4. Chapter 4 Fitting In

***** Thanks Katie for helping me name this chapter... I'm getting bad at that LOL... and you're one of the main reasons why I am still writing this thing :) Also, just wanted to let you all know that I changed the way the girls' mother died in the first chapter. Car accidents are too popular LOL *****  
  
Becky looked over at Stacy from the top bunk. She was sitting on the floor with Connie and Julie, fixing her hair. Even though the two were identical twins, they didn't look alike. Stacy cared more about her outer and inner appearance than Becky did. She would loosen up to people with who she felt she belonged, which was why she was so close to her friends back home.  
  
'She fits right in there with them.' She sighed as she looked at her sister. 'Good for her.' She rolled over and looked at her wall. It was empty. She turned over and looked at the other walls. They were covered with the Ducks. 'Must like looking at themselves. Stacy does too.' She was happy that her sister fit in, she just didn't like the kind of people Stacy fit in with. Becky sat up and unzipped one of her bags. She pulled out a pair of orange pants by Caffeine and a MADE hoodie. She normally dressed in jeans and a fitted t-shirt, but it was cold outside and her MADE hoodie reminded her of her best friend from back home, Carly, because she bought the hoodie for Becky as a going away present. She climbed out of the bunk and took her clothes with her.  
  
"Where's the bathroom?" Becky asked, standing near the door.  
  
"Go left, straight down the hallway. Last door on your right."  
  
"Thanks." She said, pushing the door open and exiting the room. She walked down the hallway and entered the last door on the right, just like Julie had told her. She went inside one of the stalls and removed her pants, putting on her clean pair and pulled her hoodie on over her t-shirt. She stepped out of the stall, pants in hand, and stared at herself in the mirror. She wasn't herself. She was a mere shell of herself. There was something missing from her besides the empty spot in her heart that wept constantly from the loss of her mother. She knew what it was. Becky was a photographer at heart, and back home she was always known to be walking around with her camera, taking pictures of everything. When her mother passed, she buried her camera with the casket; her mother had given her the camera for her sixteenth birthday. It was a part of Becky and Becky wanted a part of her buried with her mom. She had some money saved, but she was keeping it for a rainy day which meant she couldn't afford a new camera. She wanted to take pictures of her new life and send them back to her friends in hope that they would come rescue her. It would never happen. Even if she did get a new camera, she wasn't sure she'd be able to do it any longer. Every time she took a picture her mother would be emblazoned in her mind more so than usual.  
  
'Snap out of it.' She thought to herself. 'With the way people are around here, they'll have a search team after me if I don't get back to my dorm soon.' She left the bathroom and walked slowly down the hallway. 'There must be something good about this place.' She imagined there must be one normal person around at least, without an annoying roommate. Her train of thought was lossed as she felt a huge object interfere with her path and she was knocked backwards onto her back.  
  
"Shit!" She cried out, sitting up. She wasn't surprised when she looked up to see Dean staring down at her. "Don't you know how to walk?" She asked, glaring at him.  
  
"I'm sorry." He offered his hand to pull her to her feet, but she pushed it away and climbed to her feet.  
  
"Don't be sorry, just watch where you're going." When she finished brushing herself off, she laughed as she caught sight of Dean in his entirety. He was wearing khakis that had obviously been ironed recently because of the creases in the legs, and a black button down shirt; and NO bandana.  
  
"What's so funny?" Dean asked.  
  
"Well, if you're supposed to be such a tough guy, why the HELL are you dressed like that?"  
  
"Can't a guy just dress up every once in a while?"  
  
"Yeah, sure." Becky continued laughing as she walked past Dean. She was still laughing when she walked back into the dorm room.  
  
"What's are you laughing at?" Stacy asked as Becky sat down on the bed.  
  
"Forget it." Becky smiled, placing her pants in an orange clothes bag that she had hung from the bed post.  
  
"Uncle Gordon called." Stacy said to Becky, picking up a bottle of pink nail polish and handing it to Connie. Becky rolled her eyes.  
  
'Pink...' She thought to herself. 'What's with that color?'  
  
"And he's taking us out to lunch."  
  
"Good, we're finally getting away from all of these Ducks." Becky let out a sigh of relief.  
  
"Not really." Julie replied cockily. "He invited me and Connie, too."  
  
"And Charlie, Dean, and Lester." Stacy added.  
  
"Call him Averman." Connie laughed. Stacy looked at her with an odd expression on her face. "Better than Lester..." Stacy nodded in agreement and they both laughed.  
  
"Whatever." Becky mumbled. "What time is he coming to pick us up?"  
  
"He's not picking us up." Stacy slid on one of her pink and white shell topped ADIDAS. "We're meeting him at the restaurant."  
  
"Walking?" Becky smiled. She loved walking. It was one thing she could do to relax.  
  
"No, we're driving. I've got a small car, though." Julie shrugged.  
  
"So, you're riding with Dean." Stacy said seriously, trying not to laugh.  
  
"You're kidding right?" Becky glared at her. Stacy shook her head 'no'. "Well, you're coming with Dean, too, right?" Becky asked Stacy. Again, she shook her head 'no'. "Your car is small, but you can fit everyone except for me and Dean?!" She raised her voice. The girls couldn't control it and soon, Julie, Connie, and Stacy were a fit of giggles on the floor.  
  
"It was Uncle Gordon's suggestion." Stacy hardly managed to speak between her laughs. Becky let out an incredible sigh and threw herself backwards onto her bed.  
  
"I hate you all!" She screamed, covering her face with a pillow 


	5. Chapter 5 Awkward Silences

***** I'm gonna try to make the chapters a little longer from now on. I realize that they are pretty short and mostly dialogue, but I'm a dialogue type of person :) *****  
  
Becky took a deep breath as she opened the passenger's side door of Dean's car and climbed inside. She kept her head down and buckled her seat belt. Dean already had the key in the ignition. When he was sure that Becky was fully settled in, he pulled out of the parking lot and started down the road. Becky glanced over at Dean who was driving silently, his eyes glued on the road. Her eyes shifted slowly to his body and she felt a pit of guilt welling up her gut. Dean was now wearing a pair of black, army style pants, a black t-shirt, and a camoflage jacket. He had obviously dressed earlier with the intentions of impressing Becky. Dean looked over and noticed Becky looking at him and there was an awkward silence for a what felt like forever, but was merely a few short seconds. Dean reached for the knob of the stereo and turned on some loud heavy metal music and continued to drive silently.  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
Everyone in Julie's car was having a blast. Stacy was sitting between Charlie and Averman in the back seat, Julie was driving, and Connie was in the passenger's side. They had the radio on very low so they could hear themselves talking.  
  
"So, do you plan on going to the winter dance, Stace?" Charlie asked her, trying to strike a new conversation.  
  
"I don't know." She shrugged. "This is only the second time I've heard it mentioned. I'm not even officially in the school yet." She laughed.  
  
"Yeah, but it's the biggest dance of the year next to prom."  
  
"I don't know, I'll think about it. Maybe if someone asks me or something."  
  
"Which reminds me..." Averman added. "Julie... would you like to accompany me to the dance?" He smiled wildly. Julie turned around to look at him and laughed.   
  
"Of course I'll go with you Averman. I'd be an honor." She smiled.  
  
"Alright..." Averman raised his hands in mock victory. "I am now officially the only Duck who has a date to the dance."  
  
"Not for long." Charlie said, hitting Averman in the back of the head. "I'm gonna ask Max tomorrow when I see her at the rink. She always comes to watch the practices."  
  
"Well, you better hurry my friend. Only have a week to get a date. What if she turns you down?" Averman teased him.  
  
"She's not gonna turn me down. She obviously likes me. She doesn't come to the practices to watch you, you know?"  
  
"Sure... sure..." Averman flagged him off.  
  
"Are you going Connie?" Stacy asked, leaning forward between the passenger's and driver's seats.  
  
"Probably. I don't have a date yet, but I'll probably go."  
  
"With Guy..." Charlie said in a 'lovey-dovey' tone, making kissing noises.   
  
"No!" She replied, snapping her head around to glare at Charlie.  
  
"Sorry... don't throw a fit." He replied, sitting back in his seat.  
  
"What's with your sister?" Averman asked, looking at Stacy. "No offense or anything, but she's a bitch. I've never seen Portman act nice to anyone... ever... and she's treating him like crap."  
  
"I really don't know." Stacy shook her head. "She's been like this ever since mom died. It's like she doesn't trust anyone or something. And she's always had that bitchyness to her, it's like multiplied now and she's not nice to anyone except for me and sometimes Uncle Gordon. And it's not exactly like we've heard nice things about Dean anyway."  
  
"People talk." Julie sighed. "Doesn't mean anything. She has a worse attitude than he does."  
  
"I don't think it's that. I think it's the rep he has for being a 'ladies man'." Charlie and Averman erupted into laughter.  
  
"Averman's had more dates than Portman since high school started. These rich people around here don't like the way he acts. Bad boy isn't their style." Charlie defended Dean.  
  
"If you don't mind me asking..." Julie began, trying to change the discussion. "What ever happened to your dad? I mean, we know you're here because your mother died, but don't you have a dad?"  
  
"Walked out on mom just before we were born. Swore to God we weren't his kids. Only, he was the only man mom had ever been with."  
  
"That sucks." Charlie nodded knowingly. "I grew up without a dad, too. I don't think I missed out on much, though. Bombay's been there for me when I need him."  
  
"Yeah." Stacy agreed. "I don't think I missed much either. But I think that's another reason Becky doesn't trust many men... because of our dad."  
  
"But I thought you said she had a boyfriend that she dumped before you moved here..." Connie stated.  
  
"She did, but she had known him since like second grade. They had only been going out for a few months, though. So it wasn't a hard break up or anything. It just takes a while before Becky trusts anyone." Everyone in the car seemed to nod in agreement.  
  
"I guess I can understand that." Julie sighed, pulling into a parking lot outside of a small restaurant. A few seconds later, Dean's car pulled in behind them. They heard the engine stop and Becky stepped out of the car, a look that was a mixture of guilt and anger on her face. Then Dean got out of the car, closing the door. He looked hurt and angry. The rest of the Ducks could tell that Dean was on the verge of giving up. If he liked her as much as they thought he did, he would give up without a struggle to avoid having too show emotion.   
  
"Let's go inside, huh?" Charlie broke the silence and opened the door. Everyone followed him inside and they were greeted by a waitress.  
  
"Are you here with Mr. Bombay?" Charlie nodded.  
  
"Sure are."  
  
"Right this way." The waitress smiled, escorting them to their table. 


	6. Chapter 6 A Turn For The Better

Becky sat down beside her uncle in the large booth where they had been seated. Stacy sat beside her. Charlie, Connie, and Julie sat across from them, and Dean sat in a chair at the end.  
  
"I'm glad you could all make it." Gordon smiled, wrapping an arm around Becky's shoulder. "Everyone order whatever you'd like. Lunch is on me." Charlie licked his lips. For a boy the size of Charlie, he certainly ate a lot. "So how do you like your dorm?" He asked, turning towards Becky and Stacy.  
  
"I love it." Stacy replied, a huge smile stretched across her face.  
  
"It's a dorm." Becky added. "What can be so great about it?" Gordon was relieved when the waitress walked over, pen and pad in hand.  
  
"Can I get you all something to drink?" She asked politely.  
  
"I'll have a coffee." Gordon replied.  
  
"I'll take a diet coke." Becky added.  
  
"Water." Stacy smiled.  
  
"Coke, please." Dean said.  
  
"I'll have coffee, too." Julie smiled.  
  
"Me too." Connie nodded.  
  
"I'll have a BIG glass of milk." Charlie grinned. Dean laughed at him. Charlie always had to be different. The waitress brought the drinks to the table and took everyone's food order.  
  
"So, you girls gonna go to the practices this weekend?" Gordon asked his nieces.   
  
"Of course!" Stacy replied. "You know how much I love hockey. I can't wait."  
  
"What about you, Beck?" He asked.  
  
"I hate hockey. I'm not going to the practices. And I'm not going to the games." She said, sipping some of her coke.  
  
"Can you excuse us for a second?" Gordon asked, nodding towards Becky. Stacy got up, allowing them to exit the booth and then sat back down. Gordon walked outside, followed by Becky. He sat down on the curb and patted the spot beside him. "Sit..." He motioned for Becky to sit next to him. She walked over slowly and sat beside him and he wrapped an arm around her. "We have to talk about a few things, sweetheart. First of all, I know you don't want to be here, but I want you to be here. You and your sister mean a lot to me. Stacy doesn't want to be here either, but she's hanging in there for me, and I want you to try to do the same thing. I'm not telling you to like everyone, but can you at least try to be less rude?" Becky sighed. "Please." Becky nodded. "And I got a call from your teacher back at your old school. She said that after your mother passed, you stopped coming to classes. Is that true?"  
  
"Well... yeah..."  
  
"I won't accept that. I know you're a smart child and I won't have any of that while you're living with me. I don't have many rules, but one of them is that you have to go to school. No cutting at all. If you do, I'll take away all of your priveleges and you'll have to attend summer school."  
  
"OH GOD NO... The summer is the only time of the year I like... I don't wanna go to school during the summer."  
  
"Well then go to school during the year. Is it that hard?"  
  
"No, I'll go... besides, I don't have anyone to cut with here anyway." She smiled a little.   
  
"Now, I have a present for you... walk with me to the car." He stood up and pulled Becky to her feet. He held her by the hand and led her back to his car. He opened the trunk and pulled out a wrapped box. 'Orange paper.' Becky laughed to herself. If you knew Becky, you knew she loved orange and settled for nothing less.  
  
"You didn't have to get me a present Uncle Gordon..." She said, pushing the box back in his direction.  
  
"I know I didn't have to... but it's something I want you to have. I figure it'll help you adjust." Becky let out a deep sigh as she pulled the lid of the box off and tossed it into the trunk. She let out of a shriek as she pulled out a Nikon N80 Autofocus SLR, which she new right away. "It was all my salary could afford." He smiled. Becky set the box down and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging and kissing him on the cheek.  
  
"I love it Uncle Gordon, thank you soooo much!!!"  
  
"There's one condition, though, sweetie..." Becky looked at him oddly.   
  
"Aww... what is it?"   
  
"You have to come to the practices and games, and take pictures for me and the Ducks."  
  
"Uncle Gordon... you know I don't like hockey..." She protested.  
  
"But I'll always be there, and so will Stacy and the Ducks. This way we can always be together... Please..." He gave her the 'puppy face'.  
  
"Alright... fine." She hugged Gordon again. "But I'm still not gonna hang out with those wierdos..." Gordon laughed.  
  
"That's all I asked." Becky picked up the camera and slammed the trunk down.   
  
"I'm never letting this baby leave my sight. AND I have to show it to Stacy. Thanks again Uncle Gordon."   
  
"No problem. Let's go back inside." When they went back inside, Stacy moved into the booth so Gordon could sit down, and then Becky. Becky handed the camera to Stacy. She knew that no one else at the table could truly accept the camera for it's beauty.   
  
"It's awesome." Stacy replied.  
  
"Is there film in here?" Becky asked Gordon.  
  
"Of course." He smiled. "I wouldn't leave you hanging like that. And there's more in the car."  
  
"I guess I'll just save the film for practice tomorrow." She said, placing the camera in her lap.  
  
"Practice? So, you're coming to practice now?" Julie asked.  
  
"Well, yea... but not for any of you... ONLY because Uncle Gordon wants me there. I just hope I don't puke on the ice every time you guys score a goal." Dean didn't know it, but a look of happiness stretched across his face. Charlie was the only person to know it and his curious mind would have to question that look later. The moment was disrupted by the sound of a phone ringing.  
  
"It's mine." Connie said, pulling her phone out of her pocket and raising it to her ear and mouth. "Hello... oh... hey!... Just having lunch... Probably... oh... I'd love to!... No, thank you!... Talk to you later!... bye bye." She hung up the phone and put it back in her pocket.  
  
"Who was that?" Gordon asked.  
  
"Adam." She replied.  
  
"What did he want?"  
  
"He asked me to go to th winter dance with him." She smiled.  
  
"What?!" Charlie exclaimed. "And you said yes?"  
  
"Well, yeah... We'll have fun together."  
  
"What about Guy?" Charlie asked.   
  
"We talked before I left this afternoon. We decided that we at least need some time apart and we'd go with different people to the dance. Besides, it's not like we're dating and I'm cheating on him."  
  
"She's right." Julie replied. "So, Gordon, will your nieces be allowed to attend this Winter Dance?"  
  
"I'm not Satan." He replied. "Why wouldn't I let them go?" Everyone laughed. "I'd like it if they went." He turned to them. "Are you gonna go?"  
  
"I probably will." Stacy replied. "If someone asks me."  
  
"Of course they will." Julie replied. "How about you Beck?"  
  
"Why on Earth would I ever want to go to a Winter Dance at Eden Hall? That's ridiculous! I'd be bored out of my mind and I'd have to wear a dress."  
  
"You wouldn't be bored if you had a date..." Charlie reminded her.  
  
"But I wouldn't go to the dance with anyone from Eden Hall if someone paid me..."  
  
**********  
  
"YOU'RE GOING TO THE DANCE WITH GUY?!?!?!" Gordon asked his niece over the phone. It was only a few hours after they had gone to lunch when she called him.  
  
"Well, he's like the only normal Duck." She replied. "And he said I was the only girl he could go with. Because he knows I don't want a relationship and I won't get all posessive of him after the dance. It'll just be as friends, but if he takes someone else, they'll wanna get involved, but he insists he and Connie are getting back together."  
  
"But I thought you said you wouldn't go to the dance if someone paid you." He reminded her.  
  
"He's convincing, besides, you know I like to dance. And maybe I'll meet someone normal. I just hope this doesn't make the rest of them think I want to be their friends. Guy is the extent of my Duck friendships. There's not enough of me to go around." Gordon laughed.  
  
"Alright, I've gotta finish some paper work, Beck. I love ya. Talk to you later."  
  
"Bye Uncle Gordon, love you, too." 


	7. Chapter 7 Tension Develops

Charlie smiled as he walked confidently down the hallway, running his fingers through his hair. He was on his way to Max's dorm to ask her to accompany him to the Winter Dance. He was sure that she would accept. Many girls at Eden Hall would die to go to the dance with Charlie, the captain of the Eden Hall Ducks, but he was a picky guy. He wanted a girl with looks and brains. A girly girl who wasn't too girly. Max was the perfect girl. She too loved hockey and went to all of the games to cheer on the guys. She wasn't one of those girls who showed up at games just to watch the guys, though, she sincerely liked the sport and Charlie often talked for hours on end with her about the games and how she thought the team could improve their game. He took in a deep breath as he knocked on the door of Max's dorm room. A few seconds later, the door creeked open and there stood Max. She was a small girl, about 5'2". She had dark brown hair that was shoulder lengthed at flipped out at the bottom.   
  
"Charlie!" She squealed, wrapping her arms around his neck. He pulled her into a hug and embraced her for a few seconds before pulling away. "You wanna come in?" Charlie nodded and smiled, he followed Max inside and she closed the door.  
  
"How are you doing, babe?" He asked, sitting down on the edge of her bed.  
  
"I'm doing great, as usual." She smiled. "How are you?"  
  
"I'm just fine." He replied. "So, do you have any plans for the dance this Friday?" He asked her. There was no point in beating around the bush. He knew what he wanted and he was pretty sure she did, too.  
  
"Not yet, I was waiting for the right person to ask me." She smiled. "And he hasn't yet..." She let out a huge sigh and sat down on the bed.  
  
"He hasn't?" Charlie smiled. "That's ashame." Max developed a shocked look on her face and punched him in the arm. Charlie laughed and was soon joined by Max. "Do you wanna go with me?" He asked her finally.  
  
"Of course." She replied. "I'd love to."  
  
"Great." Charlie stood up and walked towards the door. "I've got practice, so I'll see you later."  
  
"Bye."  
  
**********  
  
Stacy sat in the Ducks' box by herself. Gordon was on the ice with the team while they practiced. They had been going for quite a while and she hoped there would be a break soon. She didn't mind watching hockey, she liked hockey, but she was alone and bored. A smile grew across her face when she heard her uncle blow his whistle and call for a fifteen minute break. The Ducks scatter into different locations talking about what was going on; the winter dance, who they were taking, etcetera.  
  
"Hey Stace!" She hadn't noticed Dwayne approaching her and he frightened her. She blushed a little.  
  
"Hey Dwayne! You looked great out there. Your puck handling is insane."  
  
"Thanks a lot." He said, sitting on the boards. "How are you enjoying yourself at Eden Hall?"  
  
"I love it here... I wish I could say the same for my sister, but she's just being a party pooper. I'm having a blast... the people are great."  
  
"Well that's great. If you have any problems, don't be afraid to talk to Dwayne." He grinned from ear to ear.  
  
"You're such a sweetheart!" Stacy said, brushing a strand of her hair from her face. Dwayne now took his turn at blushing.  
  
"Thank ya darlin'. I was kinda wonderin' if you might like to... uh... if you'd like to..."  
  
"He's trying to ask you to go to the dance with him." Dean laughed as he jumped over the boards and sat down next to Stacy. Dwayne reached over and slapped Dean in the head and Dean continued laughing.  
  
"I'd love to go to the dance with you." Stacy grinned. She stood up and kissed Dwayne on the cheek.   
  
"Yee haw!" Dwayne said, skating away. Stacy laughed. She was surprised as she turned to see Becky walking into the rink. Becky wanted to test her new camera. Her uncle told her there would be an all day practice. She figured she'd come test out the camera, and then go to her uncle's dark lab to develope them. Becky stepped into the box and sat beside Stacy.  
  
"Hey sis, why do you look so happy?" She asked, adjusting one of the settings on her camera.  
  
"Dwayne asked me to go to the dance with him."  
  
"The cowboy?" Becky asked.  
  
"Yeah, the cowboy." Stacy replied. Dean nudged Stacy in the side with his elbow, signaling that he wanted her to give him some privacy. Stacy smiled and laughed a little as she walked away.  
  
"Hey..." Dean said to Becky, moving a little closer. She didn't look up from what she was doing.  
  
"Hi."  
  
"How's it going?"  
  
"Fine." She replied, still adjusting the settings on her camera.  
  
"You know..." He began. "I was kind of wondering, maybe... if you're not busy this Friday night, maybe we could..."  
  
"I already have a date to the dance." She interupted him, standing up and looking through her lens, adjusting the focus.  
  
"What?!" He asked, his tone of half anger and half confusion.  
  
"Guy already asked me." She replied, she walked away and began to snap a few practice pictures. Dean skated out onto the ice and over to Guy who was talking with Dwayne.   
  
"You're an asshole!" Dean pushed Guy backwards onto the ice and stormed away. Everybody turned to look at Guy, except Becky who continued snapping pictures. 


	8. Chapter 8 Maybe

Becky stood quietly in her uncle's dark room. She had been down there for hours, ever since practice had ended, developing her pictures. She was pleased with how her pictures looked, but she wasn't pleased with the subject. She would rather be photographing anything but hockey, especially the Eden Hall Mighty Ducks. She certainly liked being in the dark room, though. It was a place where she could be alone with just her pictures and her thoughts.  
  
"Hey!" Connie said, pushing the door open and walking in.  
  
"Would you close the door?! You're letting light in! Don't you get the point of a dark room?!" Becky walked over and slammed the door.  
  
"Sorry." Connie rolled her eyes.  
  
"What are you doing here anyway? And who told you I was here?" She went right back to developing her pictures.   
  
"Your uncle told me you were hear." Connie pulled a chair away from the corner of the room and sat down. "You caused quite a stir between the Ducks at practice today, you know, after you left, Bombay cancelled practice because a HUGE argument exploded."  
  
"I didn't cause anything. If I wasn't there, how could I cause an argument?"  
  
"Why did you tell Guy that you would go to the dance with him?" Connie asked.  
  
"What's the big deal? He asked me, so I said yes. Do I hear jealousy in your voice?" She asked, taking some of the photos off of the line and setting them down on the table.  
  
"No... you don't." Connie sighed. "Look, Portman may not be the greatest guy in the world, and he may have a bit of an attitude, but what is with the way you're treating him? You KNEW he was going to ask you to the dance so you hopped on the first opportunity to have him shot down."  
  
"That's not what happened at all. Guy asked me first. Besides, Dean thinks just because he's Dean Portman that I HAVE to like him or something. He's incredibly conceited."  
  
"You haven't even listened to him talk for more than five minutes. There's no way you could possibly know anything about him. You're just being a bitch." Connie glared at Becky. Becky looked over at Connie and sighed.  
  
"You just don't get it." Becky began to pack some of her developed photos into her box.  
  
"Can I look at those?" Connie asked. Becky sighed and moved to the side. Connie walked over and began to look at the pictures. "Are you going to go to school for photography?" She asked Becky, noticing how professional her photos looked.  
  
"I don't know, it's just something I like to do."  
  
"Do you always like to take pictures of people you 'hate'?" Connie laughed a little. As she scanned through the pictures she noticed that a large majority of them were pictures of Dean on the ice.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Becky asked, grabbing the pictures away from Connie. "I just took pictures of the team."  
  
"The last time I checked, there were more people on the team than just Dean."  
  
"He's photogenic. He gives me a photo-op every time I'm ready to shoot, so I do." She packed her photos away.  
  
"I knew it." Connie laughed, shaking her head. "This entire time you've liked Dean. What is with you? The guy is obviously head over heels and you won't even give him the time of day... but you OBVIOUSLY like him. You're doing this for spite, aren't you? You know that I still have feelings for Guy, so you're going with him in spite of me..."  
  
"What was that?" Becky asked, a look of false confusion on her face. "Did you just say you still have feelings for Guy? Wow, I've known you for like two days and I NEVER would have guess that..." One thing that Becky was good at was being sarcastic. "Who's the one being the bitch here? You and Guy have been together on and off for a long time from what I hear, yet you decided to go to the dance with Adam to prove some point or something. And I'm the bitch? You just stood here and admitted that you're jealous."  
  
"I'm not jealous." Connie replied, shaking her head. At this point Becky was ready to scream at the top of her lungs.  
  
"Whether or not I like Dean, which I don't, is none of your business. And you don't care anyway, you're only here on your own agenda, so if you'd kindly leave me alone, I'd really appreciate it."  
  
"UGH!" Connie turned towards the door. "When I see one of my teammates as down as Dean is right now, I do care." She opened the door and exited, slamming it behind her. Becky continued placing her photos in her box. She stopped to look at some of the photos. Dean really was photogenic, but she noticed that he didn't look happy in the pictures. There wasn't any point in taking pictures of a photogenic person when they were a bad mood. That's when she decided she wouldn't take any more pictures of Dean.  
  
Later on that night, Becky couldn't fall asleep. She was tossing and turning until almost one in the morning. She climbed down the ladder of the bunkbed and picked up the phone from the night table. Slowly and quietly, she dialed Gordon's number.  
  
"Hello?" Gordon answered.  
  
"Hey, Uncle Gordon, it's Becky... did I wake you up?"  
  
"No, not at all." He yawned, obviously lying.  
  
"I can't sleep Uncle Gordon, please come get me, I wanna stay with you tonight."  
  
"Beck, what's the matter?"  
  
"I have a lot on my mind. We can talk at your house. I just really wanna leave right now."  
  
"Alright sweetie, I'll come to get you, meet me outside." Becky put on her sneakers. She decided not to change into clean clothes because she'd just be going to sleep at Gordon's house. She put on her "MADE" hoodie over her pajama top and walked outside. She sat on the curb outside the dorms for almost fifteen minutes waiting for her uncle to arrive. It was 29 degrees outside and she was freezing by the time he got there.  
  
"Why aren't you wearing a coat?" Gordon asked as he walked up to her. He pulled her to her feet and starting leading her towards the car.  
  
"I don't know. Didn't know it was this cold until I got out here." When they approached the car, they got in and Gordon started driving to his house. They were silent most of the ride. When they arrived at the house, they went inside. Becky ran up to Gordon's bedroom and buried herself under the blanket. Gordon walked into the room and smiled. He sat down on the bed beside her.  
  
"I know you don't like it here. I'm really sorry." Gordon said sympathetically.  
  
"It's not your fault I don't like it here. You're trying your best to make me feel like I belong, but I don't."  
  
"Is this about practice?" Becky nodded her head. "I'm sure none of that was your fault."  
  
"Yes it was Uncle Gordon. None of the people here like me... except Guy... and apparently Dean. I don't know what to do..." She sighed.  
  
"Sure they like you, Beck. I mean, you're not giving them much of a chance, so why should they?" Becky sighed deeply. She curled up against Gordon. "Beck, it's all about what you want. If you want to be friends with them, they'll be friends with you, I think they've proven that already. As for the situation with Dean as I understand it... that's up to you, too... I mean it all depends on whether or not you want to give him a chance... do you want to?"  
  
"Maybe..." She sighed again, closing her eyes and falling asleep in Gordon's lap. 


	9. Chapter 9 Snowing in Philadelphia

Becky yawned as she opened the door to the dorm the following morning and stepped inside. She figured she would get some rest before she started the day off. She was also assuming since it was noon, the other girls would already be out. But she was wrong, dead wrong. When she entered the room she was greeted with angry stares from Stacy, Connie, and Julie.  
  
"Did you all wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something?" She asked, rubbing her eyes and closing the door behind her.  
  
"What the hell is wrong with you?! Leaving in the middle of the night and not telling anyone... does that seem like a good idea to you?!" Stacy stood up and walked over to Becky. "If I hadn't been smart enough to call Uncle Gordon, I would have been freaking out and calling the cops! I almost did!"  
  
"Chill out, Stace. I needed to talk to Uncle Gordon. I've got some stuff on my mind." Becky walked over and sat on Stacy's bed.  
  
"Beck, does this have anything to do with what happened last night?" Connie asked, avoiding eye contact with Becky.  
  
"That's part of it..." She sighed and flung her body backwards, resting her hands behind her head. "I just don't get you people. I haven't done anything wrong. So, I've been a little bitchy. You people caught me at a pretty rough time. Other than that all I did was tell Guy that I'd be glad to go to the dance with him. You had already agreed to go with Adam, and I figured it'd give me a chance to try to get to know you people. But apparently that's not what you wanted after all. You don't care if I fit in. You only care if Guy ends up going to the dance alone so that he can sit there all night and wish that he was with you."  
  
"Lay off..." Connie pleaded, running her hand through her hair. "I'm sorry about the whole Guy situation. You've been put in the middle of something that you shouldn't have to worry about. I'm glad Guy asked you to the dance. Better he go with you than nobody. But what about Dean?"  
  
"What about Dean?" Becky asked, sitting up. "That seems to be the general theme throughout this weekend. 'What about Dean?' How would you feel if your mom croaked and you had to move in with your uncle in some town where everything is new and different, and the second you step in the door, some humungous jock is hitting on you? It's kind of offensive. I came here with every intention of having a good time. If you ask any of my friends from back home, they will gladly tell you that I was the life of every party we ever went to. You people are too quick to make judgements..." Julie chuckled, interupting Becky.  
  
"We're too quick to make judgements and you aren't?! That's exactly what you're doing with Dean. Don't you see how incredibly hipocrit..." She was interupted by the sound of the phone ringing. Becky reached over and picked up the phone.  
  
"Hello?... OH MY GOD!" She squealed, causing the other girls to flinch and cover their ears. "Are you kidding me?... This rocks!... Let me go talk to Uncle Gordon... Alright. I'll call you as soon as possible. Bye." She hung up the phone quickly and threw on her jacket.  
  
"And exactly where do you think you're going?" Stacy asked, her hands on her hips.  
  
"I have to go talk to Uncle Gordon."  
  
"We're in the middle of a discussion!" Stacy protested.  
  
"We'll finish later." Becky smiled, running out the door. Stacy sighed heavily with the knowledge that the latter conversation had no outcome at all.   
  
"We might as well get ready for practice." Connie suggested.  
  
**********  
  
"UNCLE GORDON!" Becky burst through the doors of the rink. She was out of breath from running the distance between the dorms and the rink, however, she continued to run down the stairs to the boards. She hopped over, almost forgetting that the floor had stopped and she was now on ice. She would have been laying flat on her back if Gordon had not reached her just in time.  
  
"I'm in the middle of practice, Rebecca!" Gordon said, laughing a little. "What is going on?" Becky looked around the rink at the faces of the confused Ducks.   
  
"Okay, well, Carly just called me. That's my best friend from home in case you didn't remember." Gordon nodded his head.  
  
"I remembered. Now slow down your speech and breath or you're going to pass out or something." Becky smiled again as she continued to speak.  
  
"Well, they got like a foot of snow today in Philly, so they already announced that the schools are going to be closed. So Carly's mom said that she'd be willing to drive her here to spend the week! She said she knows how I must be feeling, and since Carly doesn't miss much school, she'll just call and let them know she won't be in this week." Becky looked at Gordon proudly as if she had just delivered a very important message, because in her case, that's exactly what it was.  
  
"Beck... I don't know, this is your first week of school here, I'm not sure it's a good idea..."  
  
"Uncle Gordon..." Becky pleaded. "If you let her come up here, I swear to you if I get lower than a B in any of my classes, you can take my camera away from me!"  
  
"That does sound pretty serious." Gordon nodded his head in agreement. "Alright, she can come. But I'm telling you right now, if this causes any, and I mean ANY, problems, she's going home and your camera is mine."  
  
"YAY!" Becky wrapped her arms around Gordon's neck and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you sooooo much!" She turned in the opposite direction and ran off to call Carly with the good news. Gordon laughed and called the Ducks in.  
  
"Take a break everyone." Gordon announced. As the Ducks broke for refreshments.  
  
"Doesn't she look amazing when she smiles?" Dean asked as he skated up to Gordon.  
  
"You're odd, Dean. Very odd." Gordon laughed.  
  
"So, coach... what do you think about this whole thing? I mean, I'm sure you know what's going on. Do you think I should give up?"  
  
"Dean Portman? Give up? That's not something I ever want to hear! I've never heard it before and I won't hear any more of that! You understand me?"  
  
"Yes?" Dean looked at his coach with an odd look on his face. Gordon looked serious, which wasn't the response Dean had expected.  
  
"Yes what?" Gordon asked.  
  
"Yes sir?" Dean replied, cocking an eyebrow.  
  
"That's my boy." Gordon said, ruffling the dark curls on Dean's head. 


	10. Chapter 10 A Breath of Fresh Air?

Becky managed to make it through her first day of classes at Eden Hall. Most of her classes were filled with Ducks, except her Biology class. The only Duck in her Biology class was Dean, so she knew she would have to make friends quick. Once her classes had ended, she went back to her dorm to wait for Carly. She laid in her bed with her Bio book to catch up on some of the readings. At about 5:30, there was a knock on the door. Becky jumped down off of her bed in anticipation. She pulled the door open quickly and squealed when she was greeted by Carly.  
  
"I've missed you so much!" Becky exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Carly's neck.  
  
"I've missed you, too. This week is going to be awesome!" She lifted up her bags and carried them into the room as Becky closed the door behind her.  
  
"You can put your stuff over there." Becky said, pointing to the corner besides her bed.  
  
"Okie dokie." Carly replied, placing her bags down on the floor.  
  
"Let me take your jacket." Becky offered her hand to Carly. Carly handed her jacket to Becky who in turn, hung it up in the closet. "So, what's new?" Becky asked, sitting down on the floor.  
  
"Nothing, Philadelphia is boring as usual." Carly laughed, sitting down beside Becky. "How's everything here?"  
  
"I don't like it. I mean, I love Uncle Gordon and everything, but the people here are a pain in the ass. You'll see." Carly sighed at Becky. She knew Becky wasn't usually up for new things.  
  
"Maybe you aren't giving them a fair chance..."  
  
"Carly. Don't give me that. That's what everyone's saying. I've given them as much of a chance as they deserve. Can we change the subject?"  
  
"Sure, don't get so testy." Carly shook her head. "So... are there any hot guys around?"  
  
"Well, yeah, but they're either taken, or they're assholes. The captain Duck is both." Becky smiled and Carly laughed. "But you wouldn't like him anyway. Then there's this guy Guy, but, he's sorta taken."  
  
"He's SORTA taken?"  
  
"It's a long story."  
  
"Okay." Carly nodded.  
  
"Then there's this guy Fulton. You're gonna love this guy. He's actually pretty nice, only he has an asshole for a roommate and best friend."  
  
"We can work around that." Carly winked at Becky. "So, when do I get to meet these Ducks?"  
  
"It's up to you. We could go to the dining hall for dinner. Stacy will probably be there, so you can see her... and the Ducks will be there." Carly smiled wildly. Unlike Becky, Carly was a people person. She loved meeting new people whereas Becky would rather hang out with people she had known for a while.  
  
"Let's go!" Carly jumped to her feet and pulled Becky up beside her.  
  
"You wanna get changed or anything first?" Becky asked.  
  
"Nope! Let's go...." She pulled at Becky's arm.  
  
"Alright, alright. Let me grab our coats."  
  
**********  
  
It was slightly after 6 o'clock when Becky and Carly arrived at the dining hall. The rush didn't usually come until around 7. There were groups of people scattered throughout the room. Carly smiled as she spotted Stacy sitting at a long table. There was a number of guys sitting with her, and two girls. Stacy noticed Carly and waved for her to come over. Carly headed in Stacy's direction and Becky followed.  
  
"How is everything?" Stacy asked, standing up to give Carly a hug.  
  
"Things are going good." Carly smiled. "How are things for you?"  
  
"Everything is going well." Stacy replied. "I'm having a blast here. Let me introduce you to the Ducks." By this time, most of the Ducks had turned to look at Stacy. "Well, not all of them are here, but you'll get the picture. This is Connie..." Stacy said, pointing in her direction. "And this is Julie."  
  
"Nice to meet you." They said simultaneously.   
  
"Nice to meet you, too." Carly replied.  
  
"That's Ken..." Stacy said pointing at Ken. "That's Goldberg, Luis, and Charlie." The guys barely looked up from their food and gestured a friendly wave in Carly's direction. "And that's Dean." She pointed at him. He was sitting alone at the end of the table. Dean waved and nodded his head, Carly waved back.  
  
"He's cute..." Carly whispered to Becky. Becky let out an incredibly loud, disgusted sigh. Carly laughed a little, unsure of what that was about.  
  
"And that..." Stacy said, pointing at the young man who was walking towards the table. He looked strong and had a head full of thick black hair, covered by a bandana. "... is Fulton Reed."  
  
"Carly..." She said as she walked up to him and shook his hand. "My name's Carly, I'm a friend of Becky's."  
  
"So I heard at practice... I'm Fulton."  
  
"So I've heard." She smiled.  
  
"Would you like to sit down with me for dinner?" Fulton asked, he was often quite charming.  
  
"I would love to." Carly turned to Becky and smiled. Becky laughed a little. Carly followed Fulton around the table. He sat down beside Dean and Carly sat beside her. Stacy sat down next to Luis.   
  
"I'm not even hungry." She sighed. "Has anybody seen Dwayne?" Becky walked away to go get something to eat.  
  
"Yeah, he'll be here." Luis said. "Had to stop off at some cowboy store or something."  
  
"Okay." Stacy laughed.  
  
"Do you want me to go get you something?" Fulton asked Carly.   
  
"No, I'll go get it myself. Don't go anywhere." She smiled, standing up and walking away.  
  
"Where would I go?" Fulton laughed. He looked over at Dean who was stirring his mashed potatos around with his fork. "Dean... have you ever actually tried to talk to Becky, you know, maybe about something she likes?"  
  
"Yes Fulton, I have." He said, picking up his Diet Coke and drinking from it. "Will you just forget about it? Have fun with your new friend." Dean smirked.  
  
"I can't have fun and enjoy myself while you stir your mashed potatos around."  
  
"Don't worry about my mashed potatos." Just then, Dwayne came strolling up to the table with a bag in his hand. He sat down beside Stacy and kissed her on the cheek. He pulled a large hat box out of the bag and handed it to Stacy. She squealed as she pulled off the lid to discover a pink cowboy hat. She placed it gleefully on her head and returned Dwayne's kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Thank you so much."  
  
"It was mah pleasure." Dwayne smiled. Fulton stood up as Becky and Carly arrived back at the table. He took Carly's plate from her and put it down on the table.  
  
"Thank you." Carly smiled. Becky sat down across from Dean. As she opened her Diet Coke to take a drink, Goldberg decided that it would be funny to throw a half-eaten apple at Dean. His horrible aim (the reason why he was the goalie of the team), caused him to accidentally hit Becky's bottle of soda, therefore sending into the air and landing in Dean's lap. Dean jumped up in the air and Becky's jaw dropped to the floor.  
  
"Oh my God, I am so sorry!" She exclaimed.  
  
"It's oh my GOODNESS, not oh my God." Stacy corrected her.  
  
"Shut up Stace!" Becky snapped at her.  
  
"It's okay." Dean said, brushing some of the liquid from his pants. "You're an asshole!" Dean said, looking at Goldberg, who along with the rest of the table, was laughing hysterically. Becky was incredibly embarassed so she stood stood up and left. "You're such a jerk off Goldberg! I should make you lick this off of the floor!"  
  
"I apologize." Goldberg said, fighting back his need for laughter.  
  
"I don't know why you're apologizing to me!" Dean walked over and smacked Goldberg in the back of the head.  
  
"You deserved that." The entire group of people said in unison. Dean walked angrily out of the lunch room. The rest of the people at the table sat their silently for a few seconds until finally the silence was broken and everyone began to talk again.  
  
** I know this chapter was REALLY bad, but I haven't written in a while and I wanted to get this off of the ground again. Be a little easy on me, I'll add more tomorrow.** 


	11. Chapter 11 Realization

Becky sat with her back against the door to her dorm room. She didn't realize until after she had left the cafeteria that she didn't have her key and she would now have to wait until someone else came back with the key. The back of her hand where the apple had hit her was turning slowly from red to blue. She hadn't even realized that the apple had hit her until she sat down.  
  
'Oh great... a bruise' she thought to herself as she ran her thumb over the area. She was incredibly embarrassed by what had just happened and she refused to go back to the cafeteria to get ice, and it was too cold outside to walk to Gordon's. Her thoughts were interupted as she felt her leg jolt and heard a crashing thud on the floor. She looked up to see that Dean had tripped over her and fallen on the floor. Her faced turned red as she became embarrassed yet again. '2 for 2' she thought to herself. Her apologetic feelings were slowly diminished as soon as Dean began to speak.  
  
"Sorry, I didn't notice you sitting there." He said, standing up and brushing his behind off with his hands.  
  
"That's okay. I'll just add you to the list..." She snapped.  
  
"Add me to the list?"  
  
"Of people who don't notice me." Becky chuckled. "It's growing pretty quickly."  
  
"Excuse me?" Dean realized he was raising his voice and took a deep breath. "If you haven't NOTICED, you're the one who's not noticing anyone! You're too busy taking everything out on everyone. Bombay goes out of his way to make you happy and you don't even care. So does your sister. And everyone here tries to be nice to you, but you won't let them. And I can't even believe you're insinuating that I don't notice you. That's a load of crap if you ask me, and you know it." At this point Becky was looking down at her hand. She was avoiding eye contact so that Dean wouldn't see the tears welling up in her eyes. She knew that everything he said was true, but it was too late to do anything about it. "Look, I'm sorry..." Dean began, kneeling beside her. "What's with your hand?" He asked, examining it closely. "Did Goldberg hit you with that apple?" He shook his head and was ashamed of his friend. "Let me go get you some ice."  
  
"No." She mumbled, shaking her head.  
  
"Well, I'm gonna go get it anyway." He said, standing up and heading towards the cafeteria. As he pushed open the doors and stepped outside, Carly and Fulton passed him. They exchanged hellos and approached Becky.  
  
"Hey Becks. Don't look so down." Carly insisted, sitting beside her. She placed an arm around Becky's shoulder. "What's wrong?" She asked, stroking her hair. Becky raised her hand to Carly's face.   
  
"It hurts." She complained. "Now do you see why I can't stand these people?" Her voice indicated that she was somewhat kidding.   
  
"What's really wrong? I know my Becks and she doesn't cry when she gets hit with flying food." Carly smiled wiping a tear away from Becky's cheek.  
  
"Should I leave?" Fulton asked, motioning toward his dorm. Becky shook her head.   
  
"I guess I've kinda been treating everybody on the team like crap." Becky said to Fulton. "You haven't ever done anything mean to me, but I don't even give you the time of day."  
  
"Don't worry about it. I can understand where you're coming from I guess. Besides, you're not as hard on me as you are some of the others."  
  
"I hate it here." Becky complained, resting her head on Carly's shoulder.  
  
"Well, you're gonna be here for a while." Carly said to her. "You might as well get used to it."  
  
"Even if I did, I don't see why anyone here would even give me the time of day. After all, why should any of the Ducks be nice to me after the way I treated them?"  
  
"Hey, don't worry. We're pretty nice people." Fulton laughed. They were interupted as Guy, Goldberg, Dwayne, Stacy, Julie, and Connie approached loudly. Becky glared at Goldberg and Carly elbowed her in the side. She shifted her glare from Goldberg back to her hand.  
  
"What's up with Becky?" Stacy asked as she stopped near them, Dwayne's arm around her waist.  
  
"Goldberg put her out of action." Fulton laughed. "She's bruised."  
  
"You bruised my date?!" Guy complained, giving Goldberg a punch on the shoulder.  
  
"Sorry." Goldberg shrugged, looking at Becky. "I really was aiming for the Ogre." He laughed.  
  
"Who are you calling an ogre?" Dean shoved Goldberg into the wall as he walked by him and handed a bag of ice to Becky. Becky pressed the ice firmly against her hand.  
  
"What's this dance I've been hearing about?" Carly asked curiously.  
  
"There's a dance friday." Connie replied. "I think we're all going." Carly's face lit up as Fulton sat down beside her.  
  
"I don't have a date yet, and I'd be honored to take you." He smiled.  
  
"Awww!" Carly exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'd LOVE to go." The noise level in the hall began to rise as the rest of Eden Hall headed to dinner.  
  
"Well, I've got some studying to do." Fulton said, standing up. Carly stood up, too. Carly pulled Becky to her feet.   
  
"I'll see you later." Dwayne said to Stacy, kissing her on the cheek. Everyone laughed. "See y'all later." Dwayne said, walking away. Everyone said their goodbyes and turned in the directions of their rooms. Becky, Carly, and Fulton were left standing there.   
  
"Maybe we'll get together and do something tomorrow after our classes are out. The three of us." Fulton suggested.  
  
"I don't know..." Becky shook her head.  
  
"We'd love to come." Carly smiled, hugging Fulton one last time. "See you tomorrow."   
  
"Bye." Fulton turned to leave.  
  
"Fulton..." Becky called his name. He stopped and turned around.  
  
"Yeah?" He asked. She held up her bag of ice. "Tell Dean I said thank you?"  
  
"You got it." He smiled and walked away. 


	12. Chapter 12 Better Days Better Feelings

***Okay, finally added chapter 12. BTW, for those of you who were wondering what happened to 11, I've reuploaded the edited version. LOL I was also thinking that it might be unrealistic to get hit in the hand with an apple and ironically, my friend Rebecca got hit in the hand with an apple at lunch last week so I decided to keep it because now it's even funnier to me. Thanks to constructive critisism from Natasha which I totally agreed with, I am making the transition for Becky a little more subtle. Lemme know if it worked. More soon! I also changed my Pen Name to Beckers Loves Portman because there's more than one Beckers :)***  
  
Dean laid in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. The room was silent for once. A lot of complaining had been occuring over the past few weeks about Dean and Fulton listening to loud music late at night, so to avoid the school taking action, they had decided to turn off their stereo every night around 10. Most people didn't actually go to sleep until well after lights out. Dean was having trouble falling asleep.  
  
"Fulton..." He called in a loud whisper. "Fulton... are you asleep?" He asked, throwing a pillow at Fulton's head.  
  
"Not anymore." Fulton yawned, rolling over to look at Dean. "What time is it?"  
  
"I don't know." Dean replied. "It's not too late. I couldn't sleep."  
  
"Oh really?" Fulton asked sarcastically. "What's the deal? You wanna talk?"  
  
"Fulton, how do you do it, man?"  
  
"How do I do what?" He asked in an annoyed tone. He didn't want to be bothered. He hated being awakened and Dean wasn't even making any sense.  
  
"A girl you like shows up and less than an hour later, she's your date to the dance. A girl shows up that I like, she hates my guts, and a few days later, she's Guy's date to the dance. What's the deal?" Dean sounded Genuinely confused. Despite what most people thought about him based on his position as a defensive Bash Brother, he was actually a really nice, caring guy, but God forbid anyone actually saw him that way, besides Fulton anyway.  
  
"Portman, dude, you worry about things way too much. Guy and Connie are gonna get back together at the dance. Everyone knows that. Besides, I think Becky likes you." Dean let out a laugh.  
  
"You sure are a good friend. At least you try to make me feel good." He grinned at Fulton.  
  
"No, I really do. Besides, Carly said she can tell when Becky likes somebody. And she thinks Becky likes you, too."  
  
"Well, she certainly has a terrible way of showing it if she does." He sighed deeply. "The dance is gonna be a drag. Maybe I just won't go." Dean decided. Fulton sat up quickly in his bed.  
  
"Dean Portman, there is absolutely no way I am going to that dance if you're not there and I have a really great date to that dance. As my best friend it is your job to go to that dance in case I need back up and to keep me company when the girls all ironically have to go to the bathroom at the same time."  
  
"Okay, man, chill. I'll go. But if... when I have a bad time, I'm blaming it all on you."   
  
"Alright, fine." Fulton laughed. "You're not gonna have a bad time, though."  
  
"Goodnight." Portman rolled over and faced the wall.  
  
"Goodnight."  
  
********************  
  
The following day, during Biology, Becky felt a little uncomfortable. There was a substitute teacher and everyone had formed little groups with their friends and were sharing conversations. The only person she knew in the class was Dean. She could feel his eyes on her at times, and she would turn to look at him, and he would look away. She couldn't help but laugh to herself. She had never actually had a true admirer before. Now she did and she was treating him like dirt. She didn't understand why, either. She liked Dean and she knew that other people had to notice, too. If not everybody on the team, at least Stacy and Carly had to see it. Not only was he drop dead gorgeous, but he was a really nice guy and had gone out of his way to treat Becky incredibly since she had arrived. She assumed that the reason she was pushing Dean away was her fear of growing close to people since her mother passed away. Before then she had been afraid to get close to people because of her father leaving her mother when she and Stacy were very young. She assumed that if she got too close to anyone, they would leave, too, just like her father. She also knew that she would have to get over that fear eventually.   
  
Becky's attention was brought back to Biology class when the sound of the bell signaling dismissal rang through the school. She picked up her bookbag, threw it over her shoulder, and headed towards the door. Biology was the last class of the day and she was going to meet Carly to go clothes shopping. On her way out of the Bio lab, she accidentally walked into Dean. She blushed and looked down at the floor.  
  
"For some reason my body seems to be magnetically attracted to you..." She grinned uneasily, still looking at the floor.  
  
"Yeah." Dean looked around the room, trying to hide his obviously blushing cheeks from Becky. "Sorry."  
  
"No, it's okay." She insisted. "I've, um, I've gotta go. Bye." She hurried out the room.  
  
"Bye!" Dean called after her. At this point she was well out of the classroom. Becky smiled as she walked down the hallway, hearing Dean call after her. She bounced down the stairs of Eden Hall Academy and joined Carly near the curb.   
  
"Why do you look so happy?" Carly asked, shoving Becky playfully.  
  
"I'm not exactly sure." Becky replied. "I just feel good today. It's different. I like it." 


	13. Chapter 13 Change of Subject

****This chapter is fairly short and it's the first chapter I've posted since May. I've been bad. But I've decided to continue. I don't think was very well written, but again, I'm trying to get back off the ground. Enjoy.****  
  
"Max!" Charlie called her name as she walked down the front stairs of Eden Hall. "Max! Hold up!" She turned around and smiled as she saw Charlie running towards her. He stopped as he caught up with her and she stopped with him.  
  
"How's it going, Charlie?" She asked, her cheeks blushing a little.  
  
"Everything is going fine." He grinned. "I just wanted to know if you have your dress yet? Because I was going to buy you flowers to match your dress." The slight blush on Max's cheek turned into a full blown fit of embarassment.  
  
"I haven't even bought my dress yet, but I'll let you know as soon as I do."  
  
"Alright. Well, I've gotta go. I've got a test to study for." He groaned.   
  
"Okay. I'll talk to you later."  
  
"See ya." Charlie started to walk away.  
  
"Charlie..." Max called his name. He turned around, a questioning look on his face. "Thanks." Charlie grinned.  
  
"Thank you." He smiled and continued on his way to the dorm.  
  
**********  
  
"Where are you two going?" Stacy asked Becky and Carly as they each looked into the mirror, fixing their hair.  
  
"Out with Fulton." Carly turned to Stacy and smiled.  
  
"You really like him, don't you?" Stacy asked, sitting down on the edge of her bed.   
  
"He's so sweet." Carly sat down beside Stacy.  
  
"Too bad you live in Philly."  
  
"I know!" Becky grinned, turning towards Stacy and Carly. "You could move here, then everyone would be happy." Carly laughed. There was a knock on the door and Carly stood up to answer it. She smiled when she opened the door to find Fulton standing there. He leaned in and hugged her.  
  
"That was nice." Carly giggled and let Fulton go past her into the room.  
  
"So, where are we going?" Becky asked Fulton.  
  
"I figured we'd go grab a burger or something. If that's okay with you girls?" He looked from Becky to Carly and they both nodded in agreement. "But there's a catch." Carly looked apologetically at Becky.  
  
"I have nothing to do with this." Carly insisted.  
  
"Nothing to do with what?" Becky asked rolling her eyes and staring at Carly.   
  
"Well, I was talking with Dean and he didn't have anything to do, so I invited him to come with us." Becky eyes shifted to Fulton.  
  
"You're kidding me, right?" Fulton laughed a little.  
  
"Um... no?" He smiled.  
  
"Come on, Beck. We'll have a good time!" Carly insisted, putting an arm around Becky's shoulder. "It's not like a date or anything. It's just four people, hanging out."  
  
"He's been depressed lately and I'd feel bad leaving him home by himself." Fulton said, wanting sympathy from Becky.  
  
"Please Beck." Carly tightened her grip on Becky.  
  
"FINE!" Becky surrendered. "But JUST as a group of people. Not even as friends and especially not as a date."  
  
"Not even as friends?" Carly whimpered.  
  
"Maybe... maybe..." Becky shrugged Carly away from her.  
  
"YAY!" Carly threw her arms around Becky and squeezed her tightly. "Thank you."  
  
"You owe me." Becky hugged her back.  
  
"I'll go get Portman and then we'll head out."  
  
"Alright. We'll just come with you." Carly insisted. She and Becky grabbed their coats. "See you later Stace."  
  
"Bye." She laughed. "Have fun!" She looked at Becky. "Especially you." Becky rolled her eyes and they left the room. As they were leaving, Dwayne stuck his head through the doorway.  
  
"Can I come in?"  
  
"Certainly." Stacy said excitedly. "I didn't expect to see you."  
  
"I figured I'd stop by to see how you're doing." Dwayne smiled, stepping inside and closing the door. He laughed when he looked up to see the pink cowboy hat he had given her hanging from her bed post.  
  
"I'm doing great. Better now that you're here." She patted the bed beside her. "You can sit down if you like." Dwayne sat down beside her and cleared his throat.  
  
"You sure are a sweetheart. That's one of the many things I like about you."  
  
"Awww! You're a sweetheart, too. You're so thoughtful. And you're adorable as hell. Your ears get all red when you're embarassed." She gently touched his right ear and it quickly began turning shades of pink. "Awww!" She leaned in quickly and kissed him on the lips just long enough to feel his timid lips pressing against her own. Their eyes locked for a brief second and each of them turned away in embarassment. Dwayne took Stacy's left hand in his right and she turned again, allowing their eyes to meet. This time, he leaned in to kiss her. Their kiss was longer and deeper, but was broken when the door swung open. Dwayne quickly pulled away and the two sat there as Connie and Julie walked into the room.  
  
"I should be going." Dwayne said, standing up. "I'll see you later." He walked out of the room. Julie and Connie stared at Stacy.  
  
"Shut up!" Stacy insisted before either or the girls could speak.  
  
"I wasn't going to..." Connie was interupted by Stacy.  
  
"Shut up."  
  
**********  
  
The walk to the diner was quiet aside from some chit chat between Becky and Carly. When they arrived they were seated near the corner. The waitress took their orders and they sat their quietly for a few moments before Fulton broke the silence.  
  
"So, I'm really looking forward to the dance on Friday." He glanced over at Carly and smiled.  
  
"So am I." She agreed. "It's gonna be a lot of fun."  
  
"Ha!" Becky laughed sarcastically. "It'll be fun for all of you. I'm stuck in some bizarre love triangle with Connie and Guy or something."  
  
"It was your choice." Dean spoke for the first time since they left the dorms.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Becky asked.  
  
"Don't get testy. I just mean that you could have said no. You knew about the two of them before you agreed."  
  
"Look, it's not my fault that Guy asked me to go to the dance with him before you had the chance." Her remarked sounded cockier than she had planned.   
  
"You wouldn't have said yes even if I asked you first." There was a long pause.  
  
"You're right." Becky said calmly. "I wouldn't have." She picked up her glass and took a long drink of her soda. She could feel three sets of eyes staring at her and she felt as if she needed to say something. "Okay, I haven't been exactly fair. I admit that, but you've never tried to be my friend. You've tried to be more than that since the first time we met."  
  
"I'm sorry if that's the way I came off, but I'd love to be your friend."  
  
"That's it?" Becky was confused. "After the way I treated you, you're willing to put it all behind you and be my friend?" Dean nodded. "You're a lot nicer than I thought you'd be." She laughed a little. "Hell, maybe I am going to the dance with the wrong person." Carly and Fulton looked at each other and then back at Becky. "That didn't come out right. Can we change the subject?"  
  
"Sure we can." Fulton tried to fight back his laughter with no success. In no time at all his friends had joined him and they were all laughing uncontrollably. 


End file.
